Anamorphic Lenses

[RFK]

Can we use anamorphic lenses on a RED camera?? Any tests??

[David Mullen ASC]

Sure, you can put a PL-mount anamorphic lens on the RED with a PL-mount.

The main problem is that the RED sensor is not squarish and a standard anamorphic lens has a 2X squeeze, so you will be cropping the sides of the image just to get to 2.39 : 1 once unsqueezed.

The anamorphic camera aperture on a 4-perf 35mm movie camera has a 1.19-ish : 1 ratio, and the image has a 2X optical squeeze.

Soderberg used, or is using (if he's still in production), anamorphic Panavision lenses on his latest RED feature.

[RFK]

And how much of the sensor would be used to get a 2x1 squeeze??
If I use the 1.85 aspect ratio I would also not be using 100% of the sensor, right??
I’m trying to figure out the advantages and disadvantages of using anamorphic X spherical for a final 35mm theatrical print.

[Cinewalt]

Keep in mind that Dalsa is developing their anamorphic for 4K lenses... http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2633

[Mitch Gross]

Dalsa developed lenses to specifically work with their sensor, which is a different size than the RED sensor. Standard anamorphic lenses have a 2x squeeze and the end frame ratio is 2.39:1. So the shape of the sensor area used is approximately 1.19:1. You can do the math to discover that you'll be throwing away a considerable amount of the sides of your frame. You'll also be using so much less of the height compared to 35mm film's use of anamorphic lenses that it will be difficult to get a wide shot since everything will be an effectively longer focal length. I would probably choose to shoot spherical and crop the frame top & bottom rather than shoot anamorphic and crop the sides so much, but that's just me. You'll use more of the chip my way.

BTW, the Phantom HD has a square sensor and can use standard anamorphic lenses with no issues.


Mitch Gross
Abel Cine Tech

[Robert Sanders]

Whether you shoot with spherical lenses or with anamorphic lenses you're going to be throwing pixels away. You're either copping the top and bottom of the sensor or you're cropping the sides.

IMO, it's really about the particular "look" you want. Do you want barreling, vignetting, hyper-breathing on racks and streaking lens flares (I know I do!) or do you want super fast lenses that are smaller, light weight and technically more accurate? Anamorphics are heavy, very slow (some of the Hawks are relatively fast) and require a much bigger lighting package and can slow your production down. But man they look epic! Spherical lenses are sharper, extremely fast and allow you to work faster. But you lose that certain je ne se qua that true anamorphics can provide.

[Cinewalt]

The Red has pixels to burn... crop away!

[Akube]

yeah of course you could use anamorphic lenses... the size of red's sensor is almost equivalent to the canon crop.

here are some shots of an anamorphic lens (12-24mm sigma) used on my 400d canon dslr.

http://www.pbase.com/bastaki/oman

[Stephen Williams]

yeah of course you could use anamorphic lenses... the size of red's sensor is almost equivalent to the canon crop.

here are some shots of an anamorphic lens (12-24mm sigma) used on my 400d canon dslr.

http://www.pbase.com/bastaki/oman

Hi,

Are you sure sigma makes a 12-24 anamorphic lens?

Stephen

[chuck colburn]

Hi,

Are you sure sigma makes a 12-24 anamorphic lens?

Stephen


hehehe

[Ruairi Robinson]

The Red has pixels to burn... crop away!

But its not just pixels you are cropping - you are cropping the sides of the picture if you shoot scope, meaning you effectively turn a wide lens into a longer one.

That's not so great if you want to use wide lenses!

R.